ספרים בנושא מְקוֹרוֹת וְתַרְבּוּת

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One “Language” at Home – Another in Kindergarten

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This book exposes children to an exciting period in history, and invites a discussion of their feelings in day-to-day situations. You can discuss with your children and ask: Why was Milka concerned and indecisive on the night before Baron de Rothschild’s visit? What do you think of the choice she made? Are there rules in kindergarten that differ from the ones you have at home too? Which ones?

The Girl From The Golden Sands

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The illustrations demonstrate the clutter and noise in this house. You may enjoy looking through the book together, and finding what is misplaced and funny on each page. You could also compare the picture of the house from the beginning of the book to the one after the goat had been removed. What are the similarities and differences between the two illustrations?

Shimon’s house is not only crowded, but noisy too. You could demonstrate this to your child in the following way: turn on the TV or radio, and gradually add some of the sounds mentioned in the story. One of you could moo like a cow, another could make chicken noises, or a goat’s… until you will no longer be able to hear the TV or radio. Stop making all the animal noises at the same time, and discover just how quiet the room has become.

This story is the origin of the expression Lehotzi et Haez (“to remove the goat”), meaning to cause tremendous relief by removing something unnecessary. Is your house crowded? Does your child have any unnecessary “goats” in their schoolbag or pencil case? Try to find the reason for the clutter in your home – perhaps the drawers are full of old toys, clothes, or shoes that are no longer needed? You could tidy the house up together, and donate some of the things you no longer need. How did you feel once you removed the “goats” from your home?

Shimon and his wife go to their rabbi to seek his advice. Talking is helpful. Who do we turn to when we need advice? Who helps us solve problems? You could share some unexpected advice you may have received with your child that had proven helpful.

You may enjoy discussing a change of perspective with your child. Sometimes we cannot change reality, but are capable of changing the way we view it. Together, you could think of times when a change of attitude led you to see things differently. For it is those who are content with their lot that are truly rich.

Humor and folk tales

It’s Crowded at Home is a folk tale that takes place in a Jewish shtetl. The message of the story is conveyed humorously, with no direct preaching. The amusing tale of the goat, like many other humorous stories in Jewish tradition, remind us of that valuable life lessons are best learned with a smile!

Enjoy reading and discussing this book together!

It’s Crowded at Home

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Unlike stories, a collection of poetry can be read in any order. Which poems were your favorite? And your child’s? Feel free to read the book over and over again, asking your child to pick just one or two poems at a time, and returning to your favorites time after time. After a while, your child will know the poems, and join in on your reading, completing the rhyming lines.

Each of the poems in the book can be acted out using items found in every home. You may want to select one of your favorite poems and act it out together. You could also put it to music, or a certain rhythm, using a musical instrument. You may also enjoy putting together a small dance to go with your favorite poem.

You may like to ask your child to place their head on your lap and close their eyes. As you read, ask your child to imagine the poem, and try to think how they might have illustrated it. When your child opens their eyes again, show them Inbal Leitner’s illustration, and ask them whether they had imagined the poem as Inbal had. Perhaps you would then like to draw the illustration as you imagined it would be.

If you look at the illustrations, you will notice the embroidery by Elina Zashkevich-Chipiga. Perhaps you could also take out colorful thread, and embroider your child’s name onto their backpack, or decorate a pillow cover.

Shlomit Cohen Asif’s poems provides us with insight into a child’s inner world, as well as a wonderful opportunity to hold an open discussion on feelings. In the poem Fear sat on the blue chair, even Fear is scared of being alone. You may want to share your fears with one another, and try to find ways to overcome them together.

White sheet, what will you become? Let your imagination run wild with a white sheet of paper. You could write, paint, or doodle on it, roll it into a ball, make a tiara out of it, or perhaps a kite, or pirate ship, being creative and drawing inspiration from the poems in the book.

Shlomit Cohen Asif has written over 70 books. Do you know any other work by her? You may want to look for more stories and poems by her at home, in your kindergarten library, or the public one, and enjoy reading them together.

Enjoy reading and discussing the book together!

Shlomit Cohen Asif was born in Iraq in 1949, and immigrated to Israel with her family at the age of 18 months. She wrote dozens of children’s books containing tales, stories, and poems. Among her well-loved works are Mamushi the Rabbit, Three Nice Mice Birthdays, and When the Star fell into a Puddle. Shlomit Cohen Asif is a well-loved and respected writer, and many of her poems have been put to music, translated into foreign languages, and adapted to stage productions. Over the years Cohen Asif has won many awards for her work, among them the Ze’ev Prize for Children’s Literature, the Bialik Prize, and the ACUM Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Children’s Literature.

Color Number Eight

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Menachem Halberstadt’s wonderful illustrations speak to the adults reading the story as well as the children, and hint at well-known historical personae and experiences. Even the teddy bear is wearing a hat from the days of the Palmach! Look closely at the illustrations together with your child and share the country’s history with them. See if you can find pictures depicting Theodore Herzl, David Ben Gurion, and dancing the hora in the streets of Tel Aviv.

Adi points to some pictures of famous photographs depicting stories of immigrants. Ask your child to show you these pictures and try to guess from which countries the different immigrants came. You can take out an atlas or map of the world, and look for the places where your family lived throughout the generations and where you have relatives outside Israel today.

The children in the story act out an imaginary version of “building the country”, which initiated in the make-believe corner of the kindergarten. Your child can also dress up in costume and choose a task in building the country.

You too can “build a country”. Let your imagination run wild: How will you call your country? Who will live in it? Which buildings are needed? Will it have a flag? You are invited to send us a photograph of the country you created, and we’ll post the picture on the Sifriyat Pijama website pj.crunchcart.com .

It is not always easy to join in to an existing group and find your role in it. The story can provide an opportunity for you and your child to discuss the emotions of the characters in the book, and for you to share with them your own life experiences – in your personal life, and on the national level.

The building of the State of Israel is a process that has not come to an end, and more new immigrants are likely to join the country in the future. David, the new oleh in the story, brings a toy plane with him to the game. What would you propose new immigrants bring with them to continue building and improving the state?

A number of well-known songs greet new olim as they arrive in Israel. You can organize a sing-along one evening in your home and sing such favorites as “Heveinu shalom aleichem”, “Am Yisrael Chai”, and “Hineh ma tov u ma na’im”.

Land of Preschool Children

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In our story there are things that don’t fit into place, things that are ridiculous and the opposite of what one expects. You can thumb through the pages together, examining the illustrations and discovering these things.
The children can draw pictures of the grandfather, grandson and the donkey and paste them onto the backs of small magnets. The three characters are invited to set out on a “journey” on the refrigerator door or any oother metal surface. They can take turns, sometimes galloping and sometimes being carried.
Instead of riding on the donkey, the grandfather and the grandson carry the donkey on their shoulders! Select an object, and use it in a different way than for what it was originally intended. Place a number of household objects with which the children are familiar in a box. Each participant takes out an object and uses it in a way that is different from its intended use.
Who can keep a straight face? Each person in turn tells the next one: “My donkey, hee-haw,” and tries to get him to laugh. Continue saying this back and forth, faster and faster, until one of you bursts out laughing.
Grandmother waits at home for Grandfather and the grandson. When they return, she is sure to ask them, “How was your journey?” You and your child can be the grandson and grandfather, and explain in your own words what happened on the way to the city.
Share funny stories with your child. Think back to funny events that happened to you and share stories from the family lore. Be sure to explain the difference between “laughing at someone” and “laughing with someone”!

Sofma’asehbimachshavatechila (Think before you act)

“Sofma’asehbimachshavatechila” or, “Think before you act,” is an expression taken from the Shabbat hymn “LechaDodi” that Rabbi ShlomoAlkabetz wrote in France about 400 years ago. The hymn tells of G-d’s creating the world in six days with the thought that the Sabbath will arrive at the end of the week and will be the height of the creation.

A person who knows where he wants to go will have an easier time getting there. Is it possible to adopt every suggestion we are offered? How do we know which suggestion is the right one for us?

When a donkey knows the path he will not stray from it. This is how he brings his rider to his destination in the safest way. Together you’re your child, look at the expression on the donkey’s face throughout the story. What, in your opinion, does he feel on hearing all the advice he receives?
Each person who passes by gives the grandfather and the grandson advice, and the two become very confused. At the end of the day Grandfather says, “We can’t please everyone.” You can discuss with your child: Who knows us well? Whose advice should we accept? Whose opinion should influence us the least? When should we stand up for our rights and not be drawn into something we know is wrong, on the advice of others?
Sometimes we feel that what others say is more important than our own inner sense of right and wrong. This is a good opportunity to help your children develop their self-esteem and trust their instincts. The absurd ending of the story illustrates with humor the price of going along with others without giving thought to one’s own beliefs.
From start to finish: Using toy figurines, you can plan the route of Grandfather, grandson and the donkey with your child. Place pieces of Lego, blocks, or even pillows throughout the room. Before setting out, consider the route together, from the planning stage until the completion of the journey, and move the characters along the way from the stable to the city gate and back home again.

Grandfather, Grandson and a Donkey

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Notice the fly in the illustrations that accompany the story: It, too, tries to irritate, and usually, it succeeds. Try to tell the story with your children from the fly’s vantage point.

In order to shake Hillel out of his tranquility the man chose to approach him at a very inconvenient time of day: just before the start of the Sabbath. Are there times when it is not advisable to ask your children questions or to request something of them? Do your children know when it is not advisable to ask you questions?

You can act out the story with your children. You can wrap the head of “Hillel” with a large towel, and add a tub and bath accessories. The “friend” can look for Hillel, call out to him and make up strange questions of his own. You are invited to photograph your skit and send the pictures to the Sifriyat Pijama website: pj.crunchcart.com/.

In the story a man approaches Hillel and attempts to provoke him. Coping with provocation is a task required of almost all young children. The story about Hillel may present an opportunity for family discussion on the topic of teasing and provocation, and an invitation for your children to describe how they know when one child is trying to provoke another, and what one can do when this happens.

You can make your own bubble bath: Take some old soap and shred it with a grater into a bowl. Add warm water and whip it with a mixer until you get thick suds. You can add a few drops of food coloring to the suds. The children will enjoy bathing with the special suds they made with you!

Hillel was an exemplary figure who knew how to control his anger. What helps us overcome our anger? You can prepare a “Hillel doll” with your children. The children can ask for advice from the doll and tell it what helps them get over their anger. Make the doll from an old sock, on which you can draw a mouth, glue two eyes, and add white hair from cotton wool. You can even make a hat for the doll. Place your hand inside the sock, and have the doll answer the children’s or parents’ questions and make up new stories. This is also an opportunity for you to share with your children ways that help you cope with anger when it arises.

The Patience of Hillel the Elder

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Open your eyes and look around… Good people can be found everywhere, but we don’t always notice them. You can discuss with your children who the “good people” are in your lives and what makes them good. You might want to prepare a booklet and ask your children to draw the good people who surround you: family, friends, neighbors, teachers etc.

Invite your children to take a close look at Yossi Abulafiya’s illustrations of the song. How many “good people” can you find on each page? What are they doing?

Are you acquainted with other songs by Naomi Shemer? Do your children know them as well? This is an opportunity for you to teach your children a new song. Together you can prepare a song book of songs you love, and organize a sing-along with family and friends.

You can create your own special rose-colored binoculars, through which the world looks positive and rosy. Take two empty toilet paper rolls,you’re your child to decorate them and attach them to one another with glue. At one end of the rolls attach pink-colored cellophane wrap, and take a good look around you!

Does your child know the way to kindergarten? Together you can draw a map of the road from your home to the classroom, adding images of “good people” along the way.

You and your children can take a walk in the neighborhood and be “good people” for others! Before setting out, try to think of things good people would do (for example, watering a dried-up plant, feeding crumbs to hungry birds, greeting people with a smile and a warm “shalom!”…)

Who are the “good people” you met today? You may want to initiate a family bedtime tradition of reflecting and remembering all the good people and things you encountered during the day. Be sure to mention ways in which you were “good people” for others as well!

A Good Eye

2000 years ago Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai asked his pupils to suggest what aids a person in walking the proper, righteous path through life. His pupils looked around and saw good and righteous people of different sorts:

[Rabbi Yochanan] said to them: Go and see which is the best trait for a person to acquire. Said Rabbi Eliezer: A good eye. Said Rabbi Joshua: A good friend. Said Rabbi Yossei: A good neighbor. Said Rabbi Shimon: To see what is born [out of ones actions]. Said Rabbi Elazar: A good heart.

Rabbi Eliezer said that the good path is in the eye of the beholder. One who has a good eye sees the good and righteous in others, and acts so himself. Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Yossei stressed the importance of those who share our path – friends and neighbors. Rabbi Shimon recommended examining one’s actions in light of their future consequences, and Rabbi Elazar said that it all begins with what is in one’s heart.

Naomi Shemer suggests that we open our eyes and see those who share the righteous path, in order to learn from them so that we too can be “good people” on the positive, righteous and pleasant path of life.

Good People

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“Who is respected? Those who respect their fellow creatures” (Pirkei Avot 4:1).The wedding guests learn an important lesson from Marco about treating people with respect. In keeping with the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” you could talk with your children about external and internal qualities. Together, you might discuss traits and characteristics of the different members of your family, emphasizing the importance of treating every person with respect regardless of how he or she looks or is dressed.
You might flip through the book together and compare the illustrations where Marco is simply dressed to those where he is wearing his elegant silk coat. Does “Marco remain Marco”?
While reading the story, you could linger over the page where Marco “feeds” his coat food from the wedding feast. Does this illustration make your children laugh? Do you find it funny? You could ask your children why they think Marco decided to put food in his coat pockets.
The story describes how the Jews of North Africa used to celebrate joyful life cycle occasions. You could talk with your children about weddings and other celebrations in your community today. How do you dress for them? What foods do you eat? Are there any special songs and dances associated with these events? Have your children ever taken part in a wedding or other life cycle celebration? See if you can find photographs from past happy occasions, and recall details from a wedding or other celebration in which you took part.
You could dramatize the tale using puppets or stuffed animals, or put on a skit based on the story. Make sure to find appropriate costumes: some ragged outfits, dark make-up, fancy wedding clothes, an elegant coat, and so on.

“When you eat the labor of your hands, you will be happy and it will be well with you” (Psalm 128:2). Marco works as a coal-seller—a job that barely paid enough to eat, and one that no longer exists. You could tell your children about coal, how people used to heat their homes with it, and how the job of coal-seller was regarded in society. Then you can ask your children what jobs or professions they know. If you like, you could tell them about the work that you do. What do you love about your work? What gives you satisfaction?

Eat, Coat, Eat!

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Colored words are woven into the text of the story. Show your child the colored words and try to guess why the designer chose these colors. Who do the pink words describe? Which colors depict the words for “cake” and “strawberries”? Ask your child to help “read” the story with you by joining in with the colored words that they can identify.

“How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together” – Sometimes, sitting alongside strangers (on the bus, at the playground, on line at the supermarket) can turn into a pleasant example of “brethren dwelling together”. You can think back to situations when you met new people in such a setting, who helped you pass the time. For instance, perhaps someone helped you lower the stroller down a flight of stairs or offered your child a snack while waiting for the doctor. Perhaps there were children who shared the swings at the playground. All these help illustrate the positive side of “brethren dwelling together”.

The two grandmothers both love Avigail. You might suggest that your child draw a picture of Avigail, surrounded by all those who love her. They can then draw a picture of themselves and all those who love them!

Tsila and Gila’s car goes through tunnels and over bridges. Together with your child, you can create a make-believe track for the car within your home, “set out for your journey” and stop to pick up passengers along the side of the road who need help. Remember: In Tsila and Gila’s car, only the cake is not fastened in with a seat belt. Be sure all your passengers are strapped in when riding in the car!

Does your child like to travel? Ask your child about journeys he or she has taken, real or imagined: Where did they go, who joined them, what happened along the way? We invite you to send your stories and drawings to the Sifriyat Pijama website: www.pjisrael.org.

Did you ever set out for a journey, get lost, and find yourselves in a new and surprising place? This is a good opportunity to tell your children about your adventure. Be sure to describe about any disappointment or frustration your felt when you lost your way, and then the positive experience you had at the end.

“This too is for the best”: A sudden halt brings an end to the comfortable trip. All the drivers and passengers are disappointed with the traffic jam. If you go through the book, you can discover unpleasant situations that turned into happy occurrences.

Not everyone likes changes in plans. Do you have a special way to help yourselves and your child to accept changes? “Chutes and Ladders” is a board game in which surprises can cause set-backs (when going down a chute), but also be pleasing (when climbing up a ladder). You can create your own game “On the way to the birthday party”, along the lines of Chutes and Ladders. The chutes will appear whenever there is a delay in the journey, and the ladders will represent the happy surprises on the way.

One way to provide encouragement when things doing go as expected is to make a “This Too Is For The Best” sign. You can write the proverb and invite your child to decorate it. Be sure to hang the sign in a visible spot in the house, to remind you that even unexpected things can turn out for the best.

The cute puppy found a welcoming home, and Avigail received a perky gift for her birthday! You can make finger puppets of Avigail and the dog: Draw or copy the characters from the book onto a piece of paper, and attach them to your fingers by stapling together the edges of the reverse side of the paper. The puppy can share his adventures in the car with Avigail, and she can tell him how she passed the time while waiting for her grandmothers to arrive.

All’s well that ends well: The granddaughter and her two grandmothers celebrate her birthday with tea and cake (and the puppy enjoys himself too, in his own way). You too can make a small tea party and invite over friends who want to share in experiencing “how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together”. Be sure to sing together in Hebrew “Hineh ma tov u-ma na’im shevet achim gam yachad”.

Tsila and Gila

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Gad feels that there is a “naughty boy” inside of him that is making trouble and irritating him. Discuss together: Is there really a “naughty boy” inside of him?

Who swears at the auntie and pushes Yocheved: Gad, the “naughty boy”, or both of them together? Where is the “naughty boy” when Gad is not angry? What do you think?

The illustrator Danny Kerman chose to represent the “naughty boy” by drawing a small shadow of Look at them both (Gad and the “naughty boy”). What is the “naughty boy” doing when someone is angry with Gad? Choose one of the illustrations and make up a “shadow conversation” between two characters, using your hands: Shine a bright light on the wall, using a lamp or flashlight. One of you will make shadows with your hands as if you were the “naughty boy”, and the other will respond as if they were Gad.

The adults are upset with Gad: Father says he is acting like a baby, Yocheved’s mother calls him a “savage”, and Grandmother is so angry her nose turns green. What do you think about the behavior of the adults who talk to Gad?

Discuss with your child an incident when you could not overcome your anger. What can one do in order to prevent this? If we are angry, how can we deal with the consequences of this feeling?

Gad says: “I have tried everything… in order to make the ‘naughty boy’ go ” There are seven illustrations in the book that describe Gad’s attempts to deal with the “naughty boy”. Look at these illustrations and try to identify how he is dealing with the “naughty boy”.

Gad asks: “What shall I do with him, with the ‘naughty boy’?” Like Gad, we all have urges and habits that we are not proud Choose a habit that you would like to overcome and in this way become a hero or heroine! Make a “Badge of Bravery” to award the heroes (e.g.: a medal, crown, sticker, etc.) and award it to the children when they overcome their urges and behave maturely.

The “naughty boy” is often troublesome, but he also has some good characteristics: courage, independence and a strong will. Surprisingly, he even knows how to dance! Inside the book cover there are a series of illustrations of the “naughty boy”. When one looks at them in sequence, it seems as though the “naughty boy” turns his anger into dancing. You’re welcome to dance with him. Choose a few moves for the children to do and create a little dance. You can sing or drum to accompany the dancing.

The Naughty Boy

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Talk with your children about the two protagonists in the story, Balthazar and Joseph, and compare them. Balthazar has much treasure at home but doesn’t share his wealth with others, whereas the impoverished Joseph is content with his lot in life and opens his home to guests on Shabbat.

You may want to discuss the difference between being “thrifty” and being “stingy” (both terms used in the story), and talk about the kind of generosity that doesn’t depend on having money.You might also discuss the concept of envy, and ask your children why they think Balthazar was so determined that his treasure not fall into Joseph’s hands.

Using simple props (you could make a precious “diamond” out of a crumpled ball of aluminum foil, and use a towel or scarf for a turban), you could dress up as the characters in the story and put on a family play. You could also use dolls, puppets, and stuffed animals to put on a show about this story.

Joseph’s daughter goes with him on his trip to the market. Where do you do your shopping – at a farmers’ market, or at the supermarket? A visit to a bustling farmers’ market can be an enjoyable adventure for young children. You could work together to write and illustrate ashopping list for Shabbat, and then look for them in the farmers’ stalls at the market, or at the store.

After reading the story, you can talk with your children about the way your own family celebrates Shabbat. What does your family do that is special? Who are your guests? You might work with your children to make an album of photos and drawings: “Our Shabbat,” featuring the people and things that make the Sabbath day special in your family.

Do you, like Joseph and his family, enjoy hosting or being a guest on Shabbat? Many children enjoy taking part in the preparations for entertaining guests into their home. They can make a “Welcome” sign and hang it on the front door, help set the table, help with kitchen chores, or decorate the table with special drawings for each place setting.

Many sources tell us about the unique character of Shabbat and the preparations for the day. Together, think of all the songs and stories you know about Shabbat (for example, “Who Loves Shabbat” by Ehud Manor; “Chanaleh and the Sabbath Dress” by Yitzchak Demiel; “The Missing Spice” arranged by Devorah Omer; etc.).

Do you know a different version of the “Joseph Who Treasures Shabbat” story? If you do, you can share it with your children and compare the differing versions.

The illustrations on the final pages of the book tell us, without words, what happens at the end of the story. Look at the illustrations together, and then use your ownwords to describe what happens after Joseph buys the big fish in honor of Shabbat. Notice the many figures that the illustrator added to the pictures throughout the story, and maybe invent a dialogue between these gossiping bystanders and Joseph.

Have fun reading and talking about this book!

In the Market of Zhakrobat

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Have your children “read” the pictures and tell you the story, using the illustrations as their guide. You could pay particular attention to Moses’ facial expressions, and ask your children why they think he didn’t give up on one little kid, despite the fact that he had an entire large flock with plenty of goats?

Even young children can be “big” and responsible! Help your children recall occasions when they were helpful to other children or small animals. Point out that even small, seemingly unimportant acts of kindness can be very meaningful for those in need; they also serve as a personal example for the entire “flock.” Afterwards, you could draw a picture together depicting one of the times when your children helped others.

The story of Moses and the kid takes place in a desert. Are your children familiar with desert life – the different kinds of flora and fauna, the wells and oases, etc.? Have you ever visited a desert? Or perhaps you live in a desert area? You might go on a field trip, and compare the climate and scenery on your trip to that in the story.

Look for the illustration that shows Moses carrying the little kid on his shoulders. Ask your children if they ever felt so tired that they asked to be picked up. Children often ask to be carried, even after they are big enough to walk on their own. You could discuss the times you carried them and the times they were able to walk independently. You could play piggy-back around the house, pretending to be Moses with the little kid.

Many of our leaders started out as shepherds. Discuss the work that a shepherd does, and the qualities that go into making a shepherd. You could think together about how working as a shepherd helped Moses, when the time came, to lead the Israelites in the wilderness. Try to recall other shepherd-leaders in Jewish tradition (for example, King David and Rabbi Akiva).

Moses struggles to catch up with the fleet-footed little kid. You could play “catch” together. First, you might play the role of Moses and call to the kid, “Little kid, stop. Little kid, come back!” while your children play the kid that “runs faster and faster.” Then switch roles. Who ran faster – you, or your children?

What other stories and tales about Moses do your children know? After reading this book, you could tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness, and talk about the figure of Moses.

Moses and the Baby Goat

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Stage a family play based on the story. Find simple props at home (sheets and scarves can be used to improvise costumes for Noah and his family; dolls, puppets, and stuffed animals can stand in for the various kinds of animals) and try to imagine the sights, sounds, and smells in the background. Think of ways you could represent the stormy sea, and what might serve as your ark?

The illustrations that accompany this story add a lot of details that aren’t in the text. Examine the pictures and see if you can identify the different creatures. Can your children name them all? You could divide them up into “family groups” (birds, insects, etc.).What animals do your children know that do not appear in the story? Do your children know how to assign these animals, too, to their “family groups”?

Noah is concerned about all the creatures on the ark and devotes himself to their care. Talk with your children about the proper way to treat animals, and discuss what “proper care” entails. Take this book with you when you visit a zoo or nature center, and see if you and your children can locate there some of the animals that appear in the book. Some zoos and nature centers let you watch while they feed the animals; others even permit you and your children to participate in the feeding. Do your children know what each type of animal eats, which animals they are allowed to feed, and what food they should be fed? After this visit, you could talk about the differences between domestic pets and wild animals, how we handle animals in captivity, and other related topics.

“To each his own.” Noah feeds each animal the kind of food that’s appropriate for its species, and he tries very hard to figure out which food will suit the chameleons. Do all the members of your family like to eat the same things? Or do you, like Noah, prepare special foods for different family members, based on individual preferences, allergies, or ages? You could discuss food preferences with your children and see which foods everyone in the family likes, and which are enjoyed only by individual family members.

Make a model ark out of a shoe box. Ask your children to decorate the model ark as imagination dictates; then put in dolls and either Lego or game pieces to represent Noah, his family, and the various animals.

This story is based on a Midrash, which in turn was based on the Biblical account of Noah. You could talk about Noah’s character with your children, and retell the story of Noah and the flood. If you know any other Midrashic tales about Noah and the ark, you could share those with your children as well.

Have fun reading and talking about this story!

The Story of Noah and the Chameleon appears in Gemara, Tractate Sanhedrin 108:42

“It is written, ‘After their kinds they went forth from the ark.’ Now, how were you situated?” — He replied. ‘We had much trouble in the ark. The animals which are usually fed by day we fed by day; and those normally fed by night, we fed by night. But my father [Noah] did not know what food the chameleon ate. One day he was sitting and cutting up a pomegranate, when a worm fell out of it, which it [the chameleon] consumed. From then onward, he mashed up bran for it, and when it became wormy, the chameleon devoured it.’

How the Chameleon Saved Noah

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Activities in the Family

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Follow the worm to tell the story: A little worm is hiding in the illustrations on each page of the book. It accompanies the flock of chickens on their journey to find food and watches what happens. Look for the worm. (You may give hints to children who have difficulty in finding it.)

You might want to use your finger as a “puppet” that talks to the worm about what it sees. You can even draw a little face on your finger and “befriend” the worm.

At the end of the story the chicken and the fox meet. Look at the illustrations that depict their encounter. Notice the facial expressions of the chicken and note what happens to the fox’s tail. Taking an idea from comics, cut out six “conversation balloons”. Using a bit of masking tape attach the “balloons” to the illustrations of the chicken and the fox. Inside each balloon write what the chicken said to the fox and what he answered her. (Parents: Use as little masking tape as possible in order to protect the book.)

We part from the brave chicken as she watches the fox run away. In the distance you can see the flock of chickens. They still don’t know that their little friend has saved their lives! It would be interesting to imagine what they do when they learn what occurred. You can act out the meeting between the wounded chicken and her friends by putting on a puppet show. You can make the puppets from cloth material, from boxes or from drawings cut out and pasted to wooden sticks. You can even include the “hidden worm” as the narrator of the story.

It is very difficult for the chicken to walk. She can’t even manage to hold a stalk of grain in her beak like the others. But when the fox threatens her, she turns her weakness into strength. This is her “hour”. Tell or draw a true or imagined story about someone who has his or her shining “hour”, an event that changes them from someone who is weak into someone who is strong.

The chicken has one weak leg. That’s why she needs the help of a crutch. Do you know a person or an animal that has a physical weakness? Discuss with your children what can help those who have trouble moving, hearing or seeing. Look for such examples in your neighborhood (special parking places designated for the handicapped, sign language for the deaf on news programs, floor numbers in an elevator embossed in Braille, etc.).

There are even special bills of money that are particularly suited for people who have difficultly in seeing. Look at two different bills of money of differing denominations. Close your eyes and feel the bills, and you will discover a protruding sign that helps people with poor vision “read” the bills and differentiate between them.

THE CHICKENS AND THE FOX

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Family Activities

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Many children like to dress up, and not just on Purim! You may enjoy making costumes using clothes, scarves, and other accessories found at home, and have a family costume party.
Do you remember any special childhood costumes? Perhaps you also got dressed up as a king or queen? You may want to share those memories with your child. You could look through old photo albums, and be reminded of costumes worn by parents, siblings and children.
There are many children nowadays who also need Purim costumes. Do you have any costumes you no longer need at home? You could donate them or have a give ‘n’ take second-hand costume fair in your school or neighborhood.
Malka discovers artists practicing various kinds of art at the Bezalel building: weaving, jewelry-making, and painting. What kind of arts does your child enjoy engaging in? In the story, each painter paints Malka a little differently. You may want to make portraits of your own family members. Do you also find it difficult not to move? Do you recognize yourselves in the portraits you painted?
You should encourage your child to dream, and dream big! You may want to ask your child what their dreams are, and share with them a dream that you have made come true, or perhaps in one you still hope to make true someday. Perhaps, like Malka and Boris, your dreams will also come true!
The streets of Israel have undergone many changes since Bezalel Art School was first opened. You may want to look at the illustrations together, and compare them to this day and age: are we still allowed to wander around outside on our own? Do you live in an area where there are still walkways without cars or traffic lights? It would be advisable to speak to your child and emphasize the fact that this story is an imaginary one. You could explain that books, as well as movies, are often unlike reality, and that in truth children must never take a walk with a stranger.
After you have read the story, you may want to visit a nearby art museum or gallery with your child. You could also go online and look at images from art exhibitions across the globe.
Bezalel Art School is well-known in Israel today, but few know the name Boris Schatz. Many people have done great things but are not remembered for them. Try to think of a person in history that you have heard of or know about, whose story you would like to share with your child. You could create a short book about this person and send it to us.

Malka, a Queen in Jerusalem

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– Have you or your child ever misconstrued certain words in poems or songs, just like Lily did? You may enjoy sharing these amusing memories with one another.

– Lily and her classmates learned this poem by heart. You may also want to try and learn the words to Kan Zippor, Yossi Bakinor, or a poem in English by heart. Did you find memorizing the words difficult? Sometimes it is easier to memorize song lyrics than verses of poetry.

– When Lily does not understand something, she is not ashamed to admit it and asks for help. Perhaps you would like to read the story together and encourage your child to ask about anything that is not clear to them (why does Bialik not reply to Lily himself? What do other difficult words in the poems mean?). Be sure to tell your child never to stop asking questions.

– In this day and age it seems everything is done online, and we rarely write letters anymore. Inspired by Lily’s letter to Bialik, you may want to let your child write a letter and send it by mail. Maybe there is a question your child wants to ask their grandparent, aunt or uncle in a letter, which you can then slip into an addressed envelope, just like Lily did. You may enjoy going to the post box together and putting the letter in. your child will surely get a reply too.

– Nitzan writes the following to Lily: “Whoever reads or hears a poem can decide for themselves what it’s about and what things look like… Think and decide for yourself what the lestoyouwakeit looks like.” You might want to ask your child whether they would have been happy to receive such a response, or what they would have written back to Lily had they received her letter.

– You may enjoy looking at the illustration depicting Lily’s drawing of the poem entitled Yossi Bakinor. Do you find it amusing? (Did you notice the sleepy car?) How would you illustrate this poem? You may want to look for various illustrations of the same poem together, and search for similarities and differences between them.

Bialik wrote many other children’s poems, such as Rutz Ben Susi, Nad Ned, and Tzilly VeGilly. You may want to look for them at home or in the local library, and read them together. Perhaps you could choose some of the ones your child likes best, have them draw them as they see fit, and create their very own, personally-illustrated Bialik poetry collection.
– Next time you’re in Tel Aviv, you may enjoy visiting Israel’s national poet’s home, Beit Bialik, which has since been converted into a museum. Until then you can go there online, and take a look around Hayim Nahman Bialik’s house. http://www.shimur.org/Bialik

Enjoy reading and discussing the book together!

letter to Bialik

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The illustrations by Uri Shulevitz remind us of a lifestyle from a different time and place. Talk about this with your children: If the story were to take place today, what would be different about the illustrations? You may want to prepare an illustrated booklet together of the same story, drawing pictures of the background and environment that is familiar to them today.
The tale doesn’t reveal what the treasure was that Yitzhak sought or why he had to leave his home on a journey that brought him right back to the place where he started. It would be interesting to discuss this with the children and to hear their thoughts on the subject.
This is an opportunity to share with your children the accomplishments that you have achieved after many efforts and great endeavor, and the sense of success that accompany these accomplishments. It is worth listening to their ambitions and dreams, too, and important that you encourage your children to try to realize them.
Your children are invited to lead you on a journey of hidden discovery throughout your home. Close your eyes or tie a handkerchief around your eyes, and let your children lead you to places and “treasures” hidden about the home that you didn’t even know existed. The children can also give you household items and objects to feel. Are you able to recognize what they are? At the end of the journey, trade places, and lead your children around the house.
Go on a treasure hunt – at home! You can hide a small “treasure” within the home. The children’s task is to look for it through the help of notes on which you have drawn hints and signs. The children will be happy to follow the hints that you have prepared, and to pass through different places in the home until they find the treasure.
“Sometimes a person has to walk a long distance in order to discover what was in fact right nearby”: Have you ever noticed your children’s joy in discovering the nice, familiar feeling of
home upon returning from a trip or a vacation? What are the “treasures” in each room of the home? What makes each one of you happy when you return home?
There are “treasures” in the vicinity of your home, too, that the children will be happy to discover and to collect. It would be fun to go on a “discovery excursion” in your neighborhood. You can select a suitable “treasure” together to bring home, and you may even want to dedicate a special corner of the children’s room to “treasures”.
“The Treasure” is the last book that will be distributed this year in the “Sifriyat Pijama” program. The school year is ending, and with it, your children will set off on a journey – whether they continue on to a new kindergarten or to school, or whether they remain in the same kindergarten and join the group of older children. This story reminds us that every journey brings with it a renewed appreciation of the treasure that is always with us, at home and within the family. Have a wonderful vacation from Sifriyat Pijama!

The Treasure

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Classroom discussion and activity ideas:

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“Strange, what is happening here?” the beggar asks. You might want to stop the reading mid-way and allow the children to express their thoughts and opinions: What is happening in the town? Why does no one invite the beggar into their home? The children can take turns pretending to knock on the doors of the townspeople and ask them, “How are you? Why aren’t you opening the door to the beggar?” The children can invent different responses that the townspeople may give.
Young children should not open the door to a beggar, or to any stranger. In today’s world, we need to warn children against opening the door to strangers. What is the best way to help others? Discuss the ways in which we can help others without inviting them into our homes. Think together how and whom children can help.
After eating the soup, the townspeople sing, laugh, and dance. They even invite the beggar to sleep in their homes. Re-read the description of the townspeople together. What did the townspeople gain from their contribution to the soup that made them so happy? Try to think of a case when something new and better is created as a result of every person giving up something.
Draw or paint a community center (real or imaginary) on cardboard. Cut the picture to create a jigsaw puzzle, which can then be put together. Show the children how each piece of the puzzle helps complete the picture.
Prepare Bone Button Borscht with friends (but without the buttons!): You might want to divide the kindergarten children into groups of three or four, each of which would prepare soup at the home of a different child. Ask each group to write and illustrate their soup’s recipe, and compile a classroom soup cookbook.
Prepare soup in the classroom: Ask each child to bring in a vegetable or a spice, to ensure that everyone takes part in contributing to the group effort of preparing the soup. The recipe of the soup prepared in kindergarten can be the first one to appear in the kindergarten’s cookbook described in the previous activity suggestion!
In order to bring the abstract concept of a “community” closer to the children, start with the joys of being a part of our kindergarten community:Who is a part of it? What do we like to do together? What do we do together that we can’t do alone? What special or added value do we achieve by being a community as opposed to each person being alone in his or her home? What other thoughts do you have on the topic?
One idea for solidifying the feeling of community is to sing with the children the song “HinehMah Tov U’MahNa’im, ShevetAchim Gam Yachad” (How goodly and pleasant it is for brothers/friends to sit together).
Community institutions: Suggest to the parents that they take a walk with their children in the neighborhood in order to take specific note of the community institutions in it (community center, library, school, synagogue, etc.), and afterwards to draw these buildings. Ask the children to bring their drawings to the kindergarten. By hanging the children’s pictures on the wall, you can create a model of the actual community and its institutions, or even an imaginary community. Or, you may want to build a model of such a community by using blocks, Lego or some other construction material.
What can five buttons achieve? Divide the children into two groups. One group draws a collective picture of the darkened town (houses, inhabitants) as it was when the beggar arrived in the beginning of the story, while the other group draws pictures of the town after the people ate the soup together. You can hang the two pictures on a bulletin board on the wall in order to emphasize the change.
“Receive everyone with a kindly countenance” [Haveimikabel et kul ha-adamb’severpanimyafot(Avot, 1)]: At an in-service-training workshop, “Tali” kindergarten teachers discussed the difference between “Bone Button Borscht”, and Jewish tales that deal with the importance of receiving people with a kindly countenance and the mitzvot of welcoming guests (hachnasatorchim). The behavior of the townspeople in Bone Button Borscht demonstrates the exact opposite of welcoming guests and of “receiving everyone with a kindly countenance”.

Receiving guests is one of the most important and beloved mitzvot of the Jewish tradition. In the Book of Genesis (ch. 18), it is told how Abraham welcomes three strangers, feeds them, and invites them to stay as guests in his tent. Abraham’s behavior teaches us how we should behave in our homes.

During the holiday of Sukkot it is customary to invite guests (“Ushpezin”), and for people to visit one another in their sukkot. And each year on Passover we invite guests to a meal and read: “Koldichfin yeti v’yachol, kolditzrich yeti v’yifsach” (Every hungry person may come and eat, every one who is in need may come and observe). We invite others to come and eat with us, in order that no one remains outside, hungry and alone on the Seder night.
You can share with the children the tale relating that in the tents of Abraham, our forefather, the first Jew, there were four openings. Each opening opened out to a different direction in order that every guest, no matter where he came from, would feel comfortable to enter.
How do we host a friend? What is the duty of the host or hostess, and what is the duty of the guest? Accepting guests is part of the everyday life of children, but sometimes it’s difficult for them to host because they don’t know what to do with the guest, or because it is difficult for them to share their possessions. You can take such an opportunity for discussing the ways in which to make the guest feel comfortable.
The mitzvah of welcoming guests is most meaningful when inviting one who is needy. You can carry out a “campaign” in the kindergarten in which every child invites a new friend, someone who has not yet visited him or her at their home. This is an excellent opportunity for creating new connections between children, and to help children who have difficulties with social skills.
“Bone Button Borscht” is distributed in the month of Adar. Purim is approaching, and with it, mitzvot that are directly connected to community action and to helping the needy – mishloachmanot and gifts for the needy. As a class you can prepare mishloachmanot for all members who serve the community (security guards, the kindergarten staff that works in the after-school/afternoon program, etc.). You might also organize gifts for the needy. Your classroom community can collect and organize food, games or any other useful items that come to your mind that could gladden the hearts of those who in need.

Bone Button Borscht

מְקוֹרוֹת וְתַרְבּוּת

סְּפָרִים

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